Today was perfect. The sun shined as bright as ever and warmed her coat. The wind rushed passed and through her mane. Her friends were below, cheering her on as she showed off her latest tricks. A day at the park to hang and enjoy each other’s company was just what Rainbow Dash loved.
She took a quick squinted look at the sun then over at the clock tower in the distance. Soon, it would be time for the one other thing she loved more than anything else next to flying and hanging with her friends. With the afternoon sun making its way to the horizon, it was time to head out.
Rainbow pulled a summersault to round up her performance and dove towards the ground, stopping short of impact and hovering. Her friends cheered for her latest spectacle and shared congratulations on another flawless performance.
“Woo wee!” Applejack exclaimed. “Rainbow, I say you get better every time.”
Rainbow ran her hoof through her mane in as she drank in the praise. “I know.” She shifted to a more humble stance and looked around at her friends. “Really though. You guys give me a lot of support and I don’t think I’d be half as good if I didn’t have that.”
“Aww. Come here you!”
Pinkie Pie grabbed her up in a massive hug before dragging the rest of the friends up in a group hug. This is what Rainbow loved. The love from her friends. The touch of others. She would never admit it of course but she really loved these moments. She milked the hug for all it was worth, being careful not to shed her tough outer appearance she had built up over so long. Inside, she wished moments like this would last forever.
Rainbow looked up at the sky once more and felt her heart sink a bit. She wanted to stay with her friends but she had somewhere to be.
“Hey guys,” she said, breaking the hug. “Sorry, but I got somewhere to be so I’ll catch you guys later.”
“Of course, darling,” said Rarity. “We understand.”
Pinkie grabbed her in another quick hug. “One more! Okay bye!”
Rainbow rubbed the back of her neck in mild embarrassment and took to the sky. She smiled as she flew. She really did love hugs. And only one thing beat out hugs more than anything. Her smile grew and she let out a small giggle at the thought before speeding up. She could not wait.
Finally, Rainbow landed and searched the area. The other ponies were already winding down their day, either finishing up whatever they were doing or heading home. For Rainbow, the night was what lay ahead for her. Ahead was her destination and only a few ponies were around. Easy.
She moved casually as she made her way forward and grew stealthier as she drew closer. Today brought few challenges. She ducked the glance of one curious pony and simply shifted around a few others. Almost there.
At last, she arrived. She took a final look around to ensure no pony saw her and ducked inside. She was greeted by two of only a few ponies who knew her secret. The owners of the building.
“Why hello Ms. Rainbow Dash,” Aloe said with a smile.
“Still playing it sneaky I see,” Lotus giggled.
Going to the spa was damaging enough for her reputation. Openly, she only went with her friends and even then she put on a begrudging attitude. Her reason for being here now though would damage her reputation much worse if the truth got out.
“You know me,” Rainbow said with a smile as she made her way to the door to a back room. “Got a rep to maintain.”
After closing the door behind her, Rainbow let out a sigh of relief. She made her way to the bulletin board in the back to find Bulk Biceps already examining it. He turned and gave Rainbow a smile before heading to the door.
“Hello Rainbow Dash!” he said in that eccentric and over the top way of his.
“Hey Bulk. Have a good night.”
She heard the door close and looked over the board. The Board of Snuggles. As odd as it may seem to some ponies, most when considering Rainbow, the idea of being a professional snuggler was rather wonderful. At least, Rainbow thought so.
While most ponies were content with how things were in their lives, some were full of stress and loneliness. Many had spouses to come home to or wait on and hold close to ease the stress of the day or remove their loneliness. Others were not so lucky.
That was where the snugglers came in. To help pull them out of stress, loneliness, and even despair. Of the snugglers under the employment of Aloe and Lotus’s side business, Rainbow and Bulk were the two best, and most expensive. It was still a business but a worthwhile one. One which Rainbow would have loved to do for free. But the extra pay did help her as weather patrol did not pay as much as ponies thought.
But the job did come with its stigma. Beyond Rainbow’s personal reputation as having a tough exterior with a hidden soft interior, the snugglers were on occasion looked down upon with scorn. A business that has ponies pay others to sleep with them did bring misunderstanding. One of the reasons for keeping the business quiet.
In truth, it was nothing more than platonic sleeping. A chance to give some pony a moment of companionship to ease their troubles and feel the warmth of another. At least, that was what how it was supposed to stay. Some of the clients, and even a few employees, had at least attempted to push things further. But it was never meant to be that. Just a chance to help a pony in a way that companionship could.
It was true that a few did move on to a deeper relation, but it was difficult to achieve. The rules of the business did ensure that whatever did occur was natural. And some snugglers like Rainbow had their own personal rules to keep things professional. They were more therapists than lovers. Of course, Rainbow did enjoy the snuggles herself just as much as her clients.
Rainbow looked over the board for tonight’s client. Nothing really out of the ordinary tonight. An anonymous out of town pony staying in a local inn which worked with Aloe and Lotus to provide private rooms. Ponies from out of town were a common thing. Ponyville did have its share of local clients but the business had built up a reputation thanks to the quiet word of mouth of the clients. The two spa owners were working on setting up extra branches in other towns and cities, but for now it remained in Ponyville and left the clients to come to them.
A final look revealed the client as a new to the business. A bit odd considering the standing price for the services of some pony of Rainbow’s therapeutic services. Poor stallion must be desperate for help. That or wealthy. Rainbow silently hoped that it was the former. Wealthy clients had the higher tendency to attempt to make things less than professional just because they could buy what they wanted. The desperate ones, however, were just as likely to seek more just because they were so desperate for companionship. Regardless, Rainbow had dealt with both worse case scenarios. She could handle this.
Getting out of the spa was less challenging than getting in as most ponies had now gone home. Rainbow spread her wings and took off for the inn. Once there, she met with the desk clerk to see if the client was in. She was pleased to find that the client was out at the moment and took the opportunity to employ a special greeting for first timers.
She got the clerk to let her into the client’s room and waited on the bed. The greeting was simple but effective. Once the client arrived, she would put on her warmest smile and greet him like a spouse welcoming the other home. That was really all they wanted. To feel loved.
Only twice had the greeting had a different effect. Namely in the fact that the client had walked in on a pony in their room and were shocked at the misunderstood intrusion. But overall, the greeting was effective. So much so that a few clients who hired her had left homes unlocked or a key for her to use to employ the greeting. They just wanted love.
After a few minutes of waiting, the door began to open as the client arrived. Rainbow put on her warmest smile and welcomed him.
“Hey dude. Welc—” she was cut off part way through at the sight of who had just walked in. “Soarin?!”
“Rainbow Dash?!” the Wonderbolt replied in equal surprise and confusion.
They both sat and gawked at one another in silence for nearly two minutes trying to fully register the situation. Rainbow went through multiple possibilities from a simple mistake in finding the client’s room and ending up in the wrong room to the whole situation being a cruel joke. Did Soarin really hire a snuggler, even one as expensive as Rainbow? She never imagined that the Wonderbolt would be in need of companionship. Her answer came as Soarin began to appear ashamed and embarrassed as he finally spoke and broke the awkward silence.
“Rainbow…I…I don’t really know what to say or where to start. I knew it would be strange enough making this request but…but I never thought I would see you. Are you…Are you really the…”
He went silent, leaving Rainbow to answer. “Yeah. Yeah I’m the snuggler that got the job.” She stopped and stared at him in a mix of curiosity and disappointment, with a tinge of anger. “Unless you—”
“No, no, no!” Soarin interrupted, becoming rather embarrassed and defensive. “Nothing like that. I hired a snuggler, nothing more.” He relaxed and went back to his earlier embarrassment. “I just didn’t expect to see you.”
Rainbow fell back into embarrassment at the situation, diverting her eyes away from Soarin. “Yeah. Never really expected anyone I knew to find out that I did this, much less be a client.”
“Look Rainbow.” He took a step forward giving all the signs she had seen from those who were embarrassed about the whole idea. “I’m really sorry about this but…I’ve just been really lonely lately and—”
She put up a hoof to stop him. “Don’t. I’ve heard all this before.” She lowered her hoof and forced a smile. “It’s fine. Really.”
It really did not matter his reasoning and she had heard all the excuses and reasons before. Besides, the whole situation was awkward enough as it was without some story of his loneliness or what not. She still had a job to do and, at this point, just wanted to get it over with. Though a part of her wanted to run and hide.
He may not be one of her friends or something but, with her being a member of the Wonderbolt Reserves, he had been a co-worker on occasion. As a Wonderbolt, she did look up to him like all of the others. His position alone brought embarrassment. All the other clients had been unknown and the job anonymous. Not even any famous ponies. But now…
She mentally shook her head to clear her thoughts and looked out the window at the setting sun. It was time to bed down for the night. Both were hesitant to climb right into bed but they finally mustered the courage. Regardless of the situation, Rainbow still had a job to do and she was going to do it well as she always did.
As they settled in, Rainbow nestled closed to Soarin, putting her back against him. She felt his hooves move to embrace her and she pressed her wings against him to push him back slightly, using them as both cushion and barrier. She turned her head towards him and spoke in a low, menacing voice.
“Try anything funny and I’ll kill you. Tell any pony about this and I’ll kill you.”
His response threw her for a loop as he spoke kindly. “Of course not.”
With that, he put a wing over her. His soft feathers brushed against her body and sent a shower of sparks surging through her body. She turned her head back, letting herself relax and the touch of the wing caress her gently. She found herself involuntarily moved an inch closer to his body, feeling her wing cushion press against her back.
She did not know how to feel anymore. The awkwardness, the embarrassment, all seemed to wash away. His kind voice and gentle touch soothed her. Rainbow had always been the one to be the kindly soul to sooth the ponies that hired her and wash away their fears, worries, and despair. But now, even as she felt his body relax, she found herself in the opposite position.
She curled tighter under his wing. No matter what brave face she put on for others, she still got lonely at night. Each night she did not work, she would lie in bed and beg for the warm touch of another. That was one reason, the biggest reason really, she did this job. She loved making ponies happy. But she craved the touch of others as much as any pony else.
She closed her eyes and let a smile cross her face. The touch of Soarin’s body against her wings and the caress of his wing across her body. She loved it all. But her eyes opened and her smile vanished. What about tomorrow night?
She pushed the thought away and focused on the touch of the stallion next to her. She did not want to think about that. She focused on tonight.
Rainbow stared at the client board back at the spa, hardly paying much attention to what was on it. Although it had been a full week since her night with Soarin, she still found her mind drifting back to his touch against her body. She shook her head to dispel the thought. She needed to keep her mind on the job and not on other things. It was one night after all and a single night of sleep with any stallion was nothing to get latched on to.
She looked over her list of clients and frowned at tonight’s client. Another anonymous client but a return client. Not only that, but this one had made a special request for her. She looked over the request in annoyance and sagged her shoulders in frustration, giving a huff. She hated return clients. More so ones who made special requests for specific snugglers.
It always seemed to be the same story. The first night was so great for them that began to develop a misconstrued idea that they were in love or were falling in love. Things would always become more complicated as they returned and they would begin requesting more intimacy. The way Rainbow felt about her night with Soarin was just personal experience why she hated this. A one night stand and immediate love. Yeah right.
Of course, not every return client was bad. They did have their share of regulars. Even special requests did not always turn into a conceived idea of love. The agency did have at least two clients who made regular requests for a certain ponies. There had even been one snuggler and previous client who had gone far enough to move on and marry. But those examples were not enough to divert from the several others who tried to get more out of one or two nights.
She took one last look over to see the client was from out of town and staying at the local inn again. Rainbow sighed. This was going to be all kinds of fun.
She focused her mind on the job and took off for the inn. Once there, she made sure the client was in before going to see him. Just a personal way of doing things to keep things professional and platonic. Her special greeting was more for first timers and the last thing she wanted was to add more reason for a pony to “fall in love” with her more than he likely already had.
She went to the room and gave a quick rap on the door, ready to get back to the job and her mind off of Soarin. But she was taken aback a bit, even shocked, at the voice that told her to enter. When she opened the door, she found Soarin waiting for her.
She felt her face flush and an odd shiver coarse through her body at the sight of the stallion who had been on her mind for the past week. She wanted to shout that it was impossible or even a joke. Part of her wanted to leave right then and there. Return clients and special requests were bad enough but to have him again…
Soarin looked at her in an apologetic way. “Sorry about all this Rainbow but—”
“What’s going on Soarin?” Rainbow interrupted as she closed the door, trying hard to put on her tough outer shell and hide her feelings.
The stallion looked down a moment and brushed a hoof against the floor as though trying to figure out the best way to formulate his thoughts. “Well, you see,” he said when he finally looked up. “I’ve just been feeling so lonely lately,” Heard it, “and it’s only gotten worse with each rejection from Spitfire.”
Rainbow raised an eyebrow at the last part. “So since you can’t hook up with Spitfire you decided to start hiring a snuggler to make your problems go away?”
“No,” Soarin said defensively, his face begging for understanding. “Well…I’ve had a thing for Spitfire for quite some time and it always ended with me being shot down. The last time I made the request was because I found out she was dating another stallion.” He stared forward as he realized what he had just said then sagged and looked down again. “So…I guess you’re right.”
Rainbow took two steps forward, trying to put on a look of understanding. “Look dude. You have to move on. Find another mare. There are plenty out there.”
“I know. I just…I’m tired of going home alone. Being alone. I’ve started to crave the touch of another. I know that sounds weird but…I don’t know what else to say.”
Rainbow struggled to keep her emotions in check. She knew those feelings all too well. But worry rose as thought about it all. “So why me? Why make a specific request this time for me?” She prepared for the answer she knew was coming.
Soarin hung his head, seemingly embarrassed by what he was about to say. “Because I figured it would be better to explain all of this to a pony I knew. Some pony who would perhaps be more understanding.”
This was not the answer Rainbow was expecting. In fact the idea of love seemed far from his mind right now. In his body language, she saw all the things she felt. The confusion of emotions.
Soarin continued. “Last time…I…I don’t really know what to say. But it helped. I actually got my mind off everything. The stress from work. The heartache. The loneliness. It all seemed to wash away.”
Rainbow understood all too well. She fought to keep her emotions in check as she thought back to that night. No matter how many ponies she slept with, none seemed to have affected her quite like Soarin. She had listened to sob stories before and helped ponies out of depression, all by being there for them. It was more than his touch against her and even now listening to him she felt it all again.
The part of her that lay awake at night begging for the comfort of others, that craved some pony to hold her and she them, screamed out to say more. To do more. But she held back. He was a client and this was her job.
“Look Soarin. Things will get better. You’ll find that pony for you. I’m sure you will.”
The smile she gave him hurt her. She mentally kicked herself for telling him the same thing she told herself night after lonely night. More than that, she kicked herself for falling into the same misconstrued idea of love she hated seeing from clients. This is why she hated return clients.
The chime of the clock in the room made her wince and the two finally noticed that the sun had set. They both needed to move on. But of course, she still had a job to do.
As they climbed into bed, Rainbow allowed Soarin to get closer than last time. She let him put a hoof over her along with his wing like last time. She tucked her wings in tight and felt the full touch of his body against her back.
Just like last time, the feathers of his wing gently caressed her. But this time, she felt his hoof carefully rub against her side causing her muscles to twitch at the touch. And like last time, she found herself involuntarily shift closer only to feel his hoof over her and he held her in a gentle embrace.
There had been a few clients before who had provided a gentle touch or a caress during sleep. A few who returned the snuggle she gave in a passionate, though respectable, way. Even if each was likely going with what came natural. But with Soarin, it felt different. She could feel his genuine care through his touch. She had heard it in his voice earlier.
Once again, Rainbow curled under his wing and even put a hoof of her own over his. She kept her eyes shut tight as her mind was a storm of emotions. The physical touch of another was one thing and nothing to get immediately attached to. But there had been so much more than that. Especially now.
She practically held his hoof as she let everything wash away. She needed to figure things out. She needed to sort through her feelings and get herself on track. But for now, she focused only on the touch of the stallion next to her.
A couple of weeks went by without a request from Soarin, giving Rainbow time to think about everything and get things straight. After the second night, she had taken two nights off to collect and sort her thoughts and feelings before returning to snuggling to get back her focus on the job. She needed a clear head for the job and she did not need any emotional baggage.
But as if mocked by the universe, she looked over her next client on the board back at the agency only to find her jaw nearly drop. The client tonight had remained anonymous but everything else practically screamed his identity. A return client, out of town, another special request for her, and a request for her to meet him out of town. In Cloudsdale of all places. It did not take her long to put together who she was dealing with as only one of her most recent clients fit the description. Soarin.
She stormed out of the spa, hardly caring who saw her or paying attention to Aloe and Lotus’s surprise. She spread her wings and kicked off, leaving small imprints from her take-off. Her mind was a storm of emotions once again. The conflicting emotions of those for the stallion and those of outrage clashed, leaving her dizzy and struggling to fly straight. Why would he request her again? She said he had to move on. She had to move on.
Cloudsdale was not far off from Ponyville today and the flight was relatively short, a mere twenty minutes. But it felt like both the longest and shortest flight she had ever taken. She came barreling into the city of clouds and skidded along the cushions that made up the streets. She gasped for air, finding herself out of breath and nearly hyperventilating. Her vision wavered and she felt like she was swimming. There were even tears in her eyes that blurred her vision further. Why? Why did she feel this way?
She struggled to quell the storm of emotions, even if just enough to think clearly. She was lashing out for no reason and such an attitude would only make things worse for both her and Soarin. She needed a level head and rational thought. There was no sense in flying or running when she need a few precious moments to think. From where she had landed, Soarin’s house was a short walk away. Plenty of time to think.
It was her job and he was a client. She repeated the thought in her head as she made her way through the streets of Cloudsdale. It was her job and he was a client. She felt her pace quicken to keep pace with her racing heart. It was her job and he was a client. Before she knew it, she was staring at the door to the Wonderbolt’s home. It was her job and he was a client.
Rainbow took several deep breaths to calm herself and her torrential emotions. The knocks on the door rang loud in her ears and reverberated across her body. The seconds that passed as she waited for an answer seemed to drag on. She caught herself fidgeting as she waited.
But the moment the door opened and she saw Soarin’s face, everything seemed to instantly grow calm. Her emotions ended their torrential torment. Her body eased and relaxed. Her breathing and heart beat slowed to a regular pace. Before, she had been calmed and eased by his touch. But now, it was just simply the fact of seeing him that calmed her.
Soarin looked at her with a simple smile. It was kind and gentle. Warm and comforting. It was as though simply seeing her right now was all he needed.
“Soarin,” Rainbow began, trying to keep her focus despite the quiver in her voice. “We need to talk.”
His smile turned into a half smile and he sagged slightly. “Yeah, come on in.”
He closed the door behind her and they went into the living room. Soarin allowed Rainbow to sit on the couch while he pulled up a chair, respectful of space. They sat for almost a minute in silence, each trying to muster the courage to speak. Rainbow knew what needed to be said, and likely so did Sorin. But it need to be spoken aloud, if just to make it all clear.
Rainbow looked at Soarin to speak then turned away, unable to push the words out of her throat. She repeated this three times before swallowing hard and forced the words out.
“Soarin, I think you’re getting attached.” Soarin looked at her and they stared for a moment before Rainbow turned away and stared at the couch. “Look. I’m not here to make all of your problems go away and just because we slept together does not mean anything in a relation. Soarin—”
“I know,” he said, cutting her off. He spoke low and she looked up to see him struggling to look down. “I’ve been through a lot of stress with work with the Wonderbolts and all of my failed attempts at finding a relation. I tried to move on. I tried to muster the courage to date other ponies and I even tried hiring a different snuggler. But my mind kept coming back to you.”
He looked up with a determined look causing Rainbow to almost be able to feel a fire from inside of him. “You listened. You were there for me. You showed me love that no pony else did.”
“It was my job!” Rainbow winced slightly at the volume of her voice and realized she was now sitting straight up. She relaxed and continued, going back to looking at the couch. “All of that is what I get paid to do.”
“Was it really just because of that?”
Rainbow’s emotions rose. She clenched her jaw. How dare he question her? She knew the boundaries and tried to keep them in place. But he continued to test them and toy with her emotions in the process, even if it was unintentional. Her jaw relaxed. How dare he make her fall in love?
“I’m sorry Rainbow.” She looked up to see Soarin looking down apologetically. “I shouldn’t have said that and shouldn’t have done any of this. I was wrong in all of this.” He looked up. “Look. You don’t have to do this. The agency can keep the money but you don’t have to do this. I’m sorry about everything.”
“Yeah,” was all she managed to say.
She got down off the couch and Soarin walked her to the door, opening it for her and stepping out with her. They stood for a moment in silence before Rainbow finally managed to begin walking away then took to the sky. As she headed home, she could not look back out of fear of returning.
This is why she hated return clients. As much as she hated them getting attached, she was more concerned with getting attached herself. With Soarin, it was too late. It was not that she did not want love. But this was not how a relation was supposed to go. This was not how it was supposed to work at all.
For the next few days, Rainbow spent her time alone, having spent the night following her talk with Soarin at home and unable to sleep. She tried going back to work at the agency but she could not keep her mind focused to do well. One client had picked up on the emotions running rampant in her head and had forgiven her but a couple of others had put in complaints. No matter what, she could not get her mind off of Soarin.
She stood in front of the job board at the agency, staring at it but unable to make out anything on it. What Soarin had shown her was more than even her friends had shown. A deeper and more personal love. Kindness, compassion, understanding, gentleness, caring, the list went on. Even when they snuggled, she could feel his love. She could feel his care for her even on the first night when neither had much in the way of feelings for the other.
She could talk about wanting to feel his touch again. To snuggle with him once more. But really, she wanted to be with him. To see him, hear his voice, feel the care he had shown for her. She wanted that love he had shown for her. She wanted to love him back.
Rainbow jumped at the touch of a hoof on her shoulder and turned to see Aloe standing next to her, a smile of care on her face. Lotus stood next to her sister, wearing the same smile of care.
“Love is a wonderful thing isn’t it?” Aloe said, lowering her hoof.
“Go on,” said Lotus, tilting her head and giving a wink. “We can find some pony to cover for you tonight.”
Rainbow smiled. “Thanks. I owe you.”
“Nonsense,” Aloe replied, pushing her to the door. “You should know this isn’t the first time this has happened.”
As Rainbow left the spa, she recalled the snuggler and client who had ended up getting married. She did not know how similar her situation was to theirs but she did not care. It did not matter anyways. She took off and headed for Cloudsdale, a fair flight this time being almost an hour away today. But as she flew, her mind swam with worry.
Rainbow Dash, bearer of the Element of Loyalty and considered to be one of the most loyal ponies, if not the most loyal, in Equestria. She was loyal to her friends. She was loyal to her word. She was loyal to the jobs she had. She would be loyal to the pony she chose to spend the rest of her life with. But could she continue her duties as a snuggler and hold her loyalty to Aloe and Lotus while in a relation with Soarin? Or would she have to choose one over the other?
She never considered the implications of platonic sleeping with other ponies. But now, something was different. If she were to pursue a relation, would it be right to continue sleeping with other ponies as a job?
Rainbow shook her head. This was something she would figure out later. One thing at a time. For now, she needed to see Soarin.
Her thoughts were cut short as she saw another pony soaring towards her. Her keen perception showed her she was only halfway from Cloudsdale and flying her way was Soarin. The two pegasi nearly collided with each other as they tried to stop. They hovered and looked at each other awkwardly, still trying to process the sight of the other. Rainbow could only assume that just as she wanted to see him, he had wanted to see her.
“Rainbow Dash,” the stallion said, visibly mustering the courage to speak and break the silence. “I love you. I don’t care what you say but it’s true. I want to be with you and I’ll do whatever it takes to be there for you. I—”
She embraced him. She did not care what he had to say after hearing those three words. She did not need any justification from him. Those three words confirmed for her what she left to question until now. She loved him.
“Don’t ever let go,” she said.
Soarin wrapped his hooves around her and held her close, giving her a soft kiss on her head. “Never.”
Whatever questions Rainbow had now, she would sort out later. The newest part of her life was more important than all of that now. However it had all happened before was behind her. Looking ahead, she only saw wonderful things ahead.
The two pegasi slowly flew off to start anew, already thinking as one.
